(19)
(11) EP 1 479 646 A3

(12) EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION

(88) Date of publication A3:
05.01.2005 Bulletin 2005/01

(43) Date of publication A2:
24.11.2004 Bulletin 2004/48

(21) Application number: 04405316.3

(22) Date of filing: 21.05.2004
(51) International Patent Classification (IPC)7: B81B 7/02, B81B 7/04, G02B 26/08, G02B 6/35, B81B 7/00
(84) Designated Contracting States:
AT BE BG CH CY CZ DE DK EE ES FI FR GB GR HU IE IT LI LU MC NL PL PT RO SE SI SK TR
Designated Extension States:
AL HR LT LV MK

(30) Priority: 23.05.2003 CA 2429508
27.05.2003 US 445360
22.09.2003 US 504210 P
20.01.2004 US 537012 P
02.04.2004 US 558563 P

(71) Applicant: JDS Uniphase Inc.
Ottawa, Ontario K2G 6N7 (CA)

(72) Inventors:
  • Miller, John Michael
    Quebec, J9H 6Y2 (CA)
  • Ma, Yuan
    Ontario, K2G 6T7 (CA)
  • Keyworth, Barrie
    Ontario, K2S 1M2 (CA)
  • Jin, Wenlin
    Ontario, K2G 5W9 (CA)
  • Hess, David R.
    Quebec, J9H 2G5 (CA)

(74) Representative: Frei, Alexandra Sarah 
c/o Frei Patentanwaltsbüro AG, Postfach 524
8029 Zürich
8029 Zürich (CH)

   


(54) Electrode configuration for pivotable MEMS micromirror


(57) A micro-electro-mechanical (MEMs) mirror device for use in an optical switch is disclosed. A "piano"-style MEMs device includes an elongated platform pivotally mounted proximate the middle thereof by a torsional hinge. The middle portion of the platform and the torsional hinge have a combined width less than the width of the rest of the platform, whereby several of these "piano" MEMs devices can be positioned adjacent each other pivotally mounted about the same axis with only a relatively small air gap therebetween. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention specially designed for wavelength switching applications, a greater range of arcuate motion for a mirror mounted thereon is provided by enabling the platform to rotate about two perpendicular axes. The MEMs mirror device according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention enables the mirror to tilt about two perpendicular axes, by the use of an "internal" gimbal ring construction, which ensures that a plurality of adjacent mirror devices have a high fill factor, without having to rely on complicated and costly manufacturing processes.






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